A month of two ago ATHG discussed how best to do electronic book reviews. Austin Kerr mentioned H-Review and other H-Net lists. So, FYI, David Fahey ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- WELCOME TO H-REVIEW You have joined H-Review, a listserv run by H-Net, Humanities OnLine, to distribute H-Net reviews of books, films, software, and other multimedia material. These reviews have been commissioned by and distributed on H-Net lists. They have been reposted to H-Review by the H-Net review project. Mark Lawrence Kornbluh is managing editor of the H-Net Review Project and James Sleight is the Assistant Editor. The email address of the H-Net Review Project is [log in to unmask] I. THE H-NET REVIEW PROJECT: Reviewing is one of the most important aspects of H-Net discussion lists. H-Net greatly increases the speed in which books (and films, software, museum exhibits, cd-roms and other multimedia material) are reviewed. At a time when print journals generally take a year to two years or more to review new works, H-Net obtains and distributes professional reviews in a matter of months. Moreover, since there are no printing costs associated with reviews over the net, H-Net reviews are usually longer and far more detailed than reviews for most print journals. For important new works and works that are or interest to scholars in different fields, H-Net can arrange simultaneous reviews by several reviewers, in effect, creating an online conference session on important new works. H-Net reviews can facilitate real dialogue on a new work. Currently, authors don't engage their reviewers in a public forum except in an occasional conference session. Author's responses to print reviews are considered peevish and greatly discouraged. On H-Net, however, authors are encouraged to respond to reviews and discuss their work publicly. II. RETRIEVING H-NET REVIEWS: All H-Net reviews and authors responses can be retrieved through the H-Review fileserver. For a list of what is on the H-Review fileserver, send the following message to [log in to unmask]: INDEX H-REVIEW For instructions on how to use the search engine on the H-Review fileserver to retrieve individual reviews,send the following message to [log in to unmask]: GET SEARCH MACRO By the end of the August 1995, all reviews will also be retrievable through gopher and the WWW, instructions on how to do this will be posted to H-Review when they are available. III. REVIEWING FOR H-NET: If you are interested in reviewing for H-Net, you can retrieve the H-Net reviewer form by sending the following message to [log in to unmask]: GET H-REVIEW REVFORM Your completed form will be forwarded on the relevant H-Net editors. You can also write to the review project at H-Net Review Project FAX: 517-353-5599 c/o Department of History PHONE: 517-355-9500 301 Morrill Hall Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48864 IV. TO SUBSCRIBE TO H-REVIEW: Send this email message via the INTERNET to [log in to unmask] sub H-Review firstname surname, school where you put your own first name, last name, and the name of your school in the place of "firstname", "surname", and "school", e.g., SUB H-Review Leslie Jones, Southern Jersey U. V. ABOUT H-NET AND THE REVIEW PROJECT: H-Review is supported by H-Net, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Michigan State University, and a team of volunteers. There currently are no dues or fees of any kind. To obtain more information about H-Net, send the following message to [log in to unmask]: GET H-NET ANNOUNCE 2. For a copy of the H-Net Review Project policies, send the following message to [log in to unmask]: GET H-REVIEW REVPOL 3. For a copy of the H-Net Reviewers guidelines, send the following message to [log in to unmask]: GET H-REVIEW REVGDL